Need You Now
by Dreamless-Mermaid
Summary: On a lonely night, Holly is reflecting about her past relationship with Dean and decides that breaking up with him was the worst mistake she ever made. DeanxOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Need You Now**

 **Chapter 1**

 **AN: Hey guys! I thought I would try posting this here just to see what happens. This was originally posted to my tumblr as a reader insert but I'm pretty sure that's not allowed here. So I changed everything to a random name. Hope ya'll like it!**

 **Based off of "Need You Now" by Lady Antebellum**

* * *

How long does it take to truly get over someone after a breakup? Days? Weeks? She could eat all the ice cream, drink all the liquor in the world and it would never make her forget. When she ended it, the expression in his green eyes was forever burned into her memory. His voice when he tried to call her back was like a skipped record in her mind: over, and over, and over, the way it cracked, the way it held so much panic and anguish at the same time. She ignored his phone calls, his text messages, hell even when he pounded on her door, pleading for her to come out and just _talk to him_ , she hid. Like a coward. But she couldn't face him. Not after everything that had happened between the two of them. There had been, and still was she suspected, so much love. So much overflowing love and kindness and a sort of gentleness that she didn't even know existed. That was why breaking his heart was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

It was five months ago when Holly broke up with Dean. The more time passed the more the pain of his absence eased. Little by little, she put her life back together. It started with a new apartment in town immediately after he had come to visit her. She sold all of her furniture and bought new things because nearly all of it reminded her of him. And when she looked at it, it was all she could do not to break down into tears. The couch where they had many late night make out sessions. The small kitchen table where the two of them sat in the morning, drinking coffee and doing the crossword together. Her bed, her massive bed, where there had been several nights and afternoons of passionate lovemaking. That one hurt the most, because even after those blissful moments, they would stay up talking and sharing intimate details with each other. It was in her bed that she liked to snap Polaroids of Dean or of her and Dean. Kissing, laughing, laying in his arms, or sometimes merely just of Dean's beautiful face, giving her that grin that she loved.

Those were the pictures she had pulled out from a shoe box that was stuffed in the back of her closet. She was currently sitting cross legged on the floor in her living room, a half empty beer in her hand, with all of them spread out before her. There were a few with Sam in them but for the most part they were a collaboration of her and Dean. The first one she picked up was of Dean in her old kitchen. He was standing at the stove, gazing intently into a pan and stirring something with a wooden spoon. That was the night he made her dinner. She tossed that aside to pick up another. Her and Dean sitting on a bench in the park. The next was of her, Sam, and Dean at a bar. Another was of her laughing, probably at something Dean had said. She took a long swig of her beer before she found her favorite one: Dean asleep in her bed, the covers only pulled up to his waist and exposing his bare chest and arms. It was a morning shot so the sun was streaming through the curtains. The light hit his face just right and he absolutely glowed. It was almost ethereal. That was the moment she knew she was in love with him.

Her stomach clenched and her eyes welled with tears but she forced them back as she threw the picture to the floor. She downed the rest of her beer and stood up to go grab another from the fridge. On the way back she picked up her cell phone to read the time, check for messages. It was one twenty-five in the morning. She didn't realize so much time had already passed. She came home from work that afternoon and instantly parked herself on the couch. Definitely a pizza night. One Netflix marathon and several beers later got her in a certain mood as it usually did when alcohol was involved. She thought about Dean quite often but tonight was the first time she dug around for the pictures.

Did he ever think about her? She hoped that if he did it was of something pleasant and not her back as she walked away from him for the last time.

She sighed as she went to sprawl out on the couch. If she closed her eyes, she could recall the exact moment the two of them met.

* * *

Almost a year and a half ago she walked into her favorite twenty-four hour diner, completely exhausted and seeking caffeine. She was a teacher and while that was a tiring job on any normal day, she had volunteered to chaperon a school dance. Her feet hurt, every inch of her was sweaty and she was pretty sure her brand new outfit was stained with punch. She dragged herself to the counter where she promptly lugged herself into a chair. Alice, one of the older waitresses, knew her by name and she gave Holly a sweet smile after she begged for coffee.

"Rough day, honey?"

"God, you have no idea," she muttered darkly. "I am never doing another dance ever again."

"Well cheer up, it's over now," Alice consoled. "What can I get for you?"

"Alice, you know why I'm here."

The older woman frowned. She set the coffee pot back in its place. "I was afraid of that. I just gave away the last piece." She gestured to a man two seats down from Holly's left. She glanced over and sure enough he was preparing to dig into a sumptuous piece of cherry pie.

She groaned. "Damn. I was really looking forward to it. Frank's pie is my reason for living. It's what keeps me coming in every morning. That and the discount you give me for coffee."

Alice smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry, sweetie, but if it's any consolation I have him making another one right now. It'll be a while but if you're willing to wait-"

"Yes. Yes, I'll wait. Keep the coffee coming," Holly said firmly. Alice grinned and gave a gentle pat to her shoulder, then walked away to help another customer. She picked up the sugar, poured some into her coffee, and gave it a stir while slyly shooting glances to the man who took the pie. She really tried not to be envious. After all it was free game. That pie was there for anybody. It's not like a note was attached to the glass display case that said to specifically hold it for her and her alone. Besides, she'd be getting the first piece of a freshly baked pie soon enough. She couldn't resist peeking over at him. He was eating it awfully slow.

Suddenly he started chuckling. He set his fork down and turned to her. "Would you like to share?"

She was so caught off guard that all she could say was, "What?"

"Well I couldn't help but notice your uh…stares."

"I-I wasn't staring. Was I?"

"Like a wolf. If you could have I think you would've tried to take it away from me."

She laughed nervously and clapped a hand to her forehead. "You're right, I'm so sorry. I just had a terrible night and pie usually helps."

"Ah, well then we have something in common." He slid the plate to her temptingly.

"Oh no I couldn't-"

"It's fine. Just buy me the next piece, since you get discounts here," he winked. "I'm Dean, by the way."

She smiled. "Holly. Nice to meet a fellow pie lover."

"You have no idea."

* * *

From then on the two of them talked into the early hours of the morning. She learned that he constantly traveled with his younger brother for work. He went all over the country. He passed through her state frequently so when she finally called it a night, they exchanged numbers and said he would let her know the next time he was close by. At first she didn't think anything of it. The night at the diner was great but he probably met a lot of women on the road and she didn't want to be just another notch in his belt. She got her first text from him nearly two weeks later, asking to meet up at the same place. This carried on for a good three months or so before she thought it might actually be going somewhere. So, after gathering all the courage she could muster, she finally asked him back to her place. After that the rest was history.

Everything was perfect. She cherished every visit from Dean, no matter how long he stayed. Sometimes they went out, other times they stayed in, but she couldn't care if all they did was lay in bed all day. Being with Dean was exhilarating yet simple. He gave her space when she asked but still loved to hold on to her like he couldn't get enough. It was safe.

Until the night a trio of goddamn vampires tried to attack her.

It had been a long day at school and she was exhausted. She had spent all of the day before with Dean but in a lucky turn of events, he said he would come back later that evening. He mentioned it might be pretty late but she didn't mind. There was some paperwork she needed to catch up on, essays to grade, and it was easier to think in her classroom rather than her living room. She didn't leave until almost eight-thirty and on the twenty minute drive to her house the night slowly creeped upon the world.

The vamps didn't even have the decency to wait. Oh no, they pounced as soon as she shut the front door. Three bloodsuckers would have been easy enough to kill on any normal night if they hadn't tackled her headfirst into the floor. Her slumbering hunter instincts kicked in and she scrambled away as fast as she could. She could vaguely hear them taunting her as she ran straight for the hall closet, where she barricaded herself inside, pushed the heavy winter clothes aside, and picked out a large machete from her arsenal of hidden weapons. Never in a million years did she think she'd need to use these, let alone in her own home against freaking _vampires_ , but she thanked her lucky stars she hoarded them anyway.

A brief battle between her and the vamps had ensued. She sliced their heads off one by one. It wasn't until the third one's head went literally rolling that Dean burst in through the front door, wielding a machete of his own. The two of them exchanged loud claims of disbelief that the other was a hunter. And as they stood in her living room, berating each other for not saying anything about it earlier, her heart was shattering.

Because there was no way that she could be involved with another hunter.

Tonight as she thought back on all of these things…She needed Dean. She still missed him. She wanted to talk, to make things right, and maybe start over.

She set down the beer, her last beer, and started dialing his number.


	2. Chapter 2

**Need You Now**

 **Chapter 2**

 **AN: Not much to say here. Enjoy!**

* * *

Dean didn't even bother putting the cap back on the whiskey bottle. He was on his third shot and wasn't planning on stopping anytime soon. He wanted to drown his thoughts in amber liquid. It was better than knowing she was an hour away from him and there was nothing he could do about it.

The eldest Winchester was currently stretched out on the motel room bed, bottle in one hand, remote in the other, the television blaring out some sitcom. He and Sam were working a case in Holly's home state. At first Sam was hesitant to even be so close to her town, knowing the effect it had on Dean. But the ever persistent older brother said no, it was fine, they should take the case because that's what they did, right? Hunted things? Family business and all that crap?

"Family business my ass," Dean muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Sam said, pushing his arms through the sleeves of his jacket.

"Nothing," Dean said. He glanced over at Sam. "You going somewhere?"

"Yeah, food. Need a break from the research and haven't had anything since this morning. Wanna come? There's a bar and grill across the road."

"Nah, it's fine. Think I'll stay here and enjoy…whatever the hell this is." Dean waved the whiskey bottle at the television.

"Alright well just…be careful."

Dean frowned. "Of what? I've only had three shots, it takes a lot more than that to get me drunk, Sammy-"

"That's not what I meant," Sam said and sighed. "With Holly so close by, I know it's been hard on you."

"What?" Dean scoffed. "Give me a break. I'm fine."

"Oh come on, Dean, you've been moping for two days now, ever since we got here. And I know it's because of her."

"Holly dumped _me_ , Sam, remember?"

"Yeah and I also remember how messed up you were after that. She made it very clear to stop trying to contact her. So no drunk dialing, okay?"

"Would you quit worrying? I'm fine!" Dean repeated.

"You say that but-"

"Sam, I mean it," Dean warned, his voice low. He swiveled his head to the left and glared at his brother. "Don't."

Sam huffed out a defeated sigh. "Fine, man, whatever. I'll be back later." The door slammed loudly behind him and Dean was met with the hum of the television. He gazed at the door and couldn't stop wishing that she would walk through it. She always had a smile on her face. He loved the way her lips curved up, how bright and bubbly her laugh was. It was one of the things he missed the most. After the breakup, Dean became listless for a while. He threw himself into cases without a second thought, putting himself and Sam in danger, who always came chasing after his big brother. Dean thought that if he buried himself in working that he wouldn't have time to think about her. It worked for the most part. Until those nights came that he had had one too many drinks, and then his mind swam with nothing but memories of her. The two of them together, laying on the couch, eating dinner, having pie at the diner. Those moments in time were going to be branded into Dean forever. Eventually he got to a place where thinking of her didn't hurt so much but now, in this town, he was slowly spiraling. He hoped to God that this case ended soon so they could get the hell out.

Dean wasn't sure how long he sat in that position on the bed. Everything was sort of blurring together. By now he had lost all interest in the show and instead his mind wandered to the last time he saw her.

* * *

Five months prior, Dean and Sam were tracking a small nest of vamps in a forest in Minnesota. Despite the chill in the air and the snow on the ground they trudged on, determined to take out every last one of them. The boys quietly discussed tactics on the best way to round them up. Being so out in the open with nothing around for miles made the Winchesters nervous. There wasn't enough cover and the Impala was parked miles away in the opposite direction. Dean hoped they had stuffed enough dead man's blood syringes in their pockets. These particular vamps were nasty sons of bitches, especially the mate of the leader, whom Dean sliced and diced mere hours before. She was hell bent on revenge.

They came upon a small clearing, just a smattering of tall oak trees here and there, a wide patch of untouched, freshly fallen snow all around. When the vamps attacked, they practically came out of nowhere. Dean saw the hatred flare in the female vamp's eyes as she lunged for him, arms out and teeth bared. He threw up his machete in front to protect himself, but she pushed him back. The two of them fought while Sam did his best to hold off the others. Suddenly she caught Dean off guard, knocked the machete out of his hand, and shoved him roughly by the shoulders until his back hit the nearest tree.

"Dean!" Sam shouted. The other two male vamps grabbed his arms and held him back as he tried to lunge for his brother.

"Guess you're pretty pissed at me, huh?" Dean smirked. She growled viciously. "That's what happens when you kill innocent people. Your lover goes bye bye."

"Maybe I should level out the playing field. Give your baby brother a little taste," she spat. Dean frowned. "I know exactly who you are, Winchester, I'm not an idiot. I've been around long enough to hear the stories. I also know how far you're willing to go to protect Sam. Maybe I should just kill him instead of turning him. Let you feel what I'm feeling."

Dean chuckled. "Any of those stories you heard mention how we've literally come back from death more than once? You can try and kill us but we'll find our way out eventually."

Her already vice like grip on his shoulders tightened. She leaned in close to his ear. "Then I'll just have to-" She paused, inhaled sharply, and pulled away. "My what a pleasant scent you have on that jacket."

Dean stiffened. "The hell are you talking about?"

"It's so light and pure," she practically buried her nose into the lapels of his jacket and he recoiled in disgust. "It's not yours or your brother's scent. Someone new, perhaps?" He glared daggers at her and refused to speak but his mind sparked and he remembered. It smelled like Holly. He was with her all day yesterday and she walked around the park wearing it because she was cold. She wore it back to the house and while she cooked dinner and watched TV that night. It didn't leave her body until that morning. "Interesting. Your heartbeat and your breathing have both increased. Your pupils are dilating. Is it someone you care about?" She was smirking now, almost giddily.

"Shut up."

"Oooh I think I've struck a nerve!" She taunted. "Come on, Dean, who is it?"

"Go to hell," Dean growled menacingly. He would never give Holly up, not in a million years.

"You boys up for a road trip?" She turned to her two male companions. They grinned wickedly and nodded. "Guess we need to pay this person of yours a little visit."

Dean struggled against his captor. "Don't you dare!"

"See you real soon, Dean."

Before he even had time to react, she hauled back and punched him square in the jaw. He fell to the ground in a heap, giving all three vamps the opportunity to sprint away. Sam cursed, rushed over as quick as he could to Dean, and they tightly grasped each other's arm. Sam pulled his brother up in one quick move.

"You alright?" Sam asked. Dean shook his head and blinked several times to force away a dizzy spell.

"Yeah," he said, rubbing his jawline, wincing at the tender spot that was sure to bruise over the next day. "Fucking bitch. Come on, Sam, we gotta go, she's after Holly."

They started their trek back to the Impala at a jog. Dean was thankful that they were hours away from where she lived but vampires were considerably faster on foot, especially when tracking prey. Once they reached the car they threw their machetes into the backseat. Dean started it up and peeled out. He fumbled for his phone and tossed it to Sam, indicating that he wanted his brother to call her.

"Straight to voicemail."

"Shit. Try again."

"Dean-"

" _Try again_ , Sam!" But it still went to voicemail. Maybe she was in class and her phone was off. "Text her then. Tell her to stay at school and I'll meet her there." He hoped she would get that in time. Otherwise…he didn't want to think about what could happen to her.

He pressed his foot harder to the gas pedal.

A few minutes to nine that night and Dean was driving by the school. All of the lights were off and he didn't see her car. So he made a u-turn and headed straight to her house. The Impala slowed to a crawl and he parked in front of another house a few feet away. Sam jumped out before the engine cut to stealthily make his way over, machete back in his hand. Dean followed from behind and together they crept silently up the driveway.

He heard them before he saw them. All three were in her living room, shouting and laughing. He poked his head up to look through the front window and they started knocking picture frames off the walls, books from their shelves, breaking lamps and the television set. He crouched back down and turned to Sam.

"I'll take the front and you come around the back in case they try to run for it."

"Did you see Holly?"

"No," Dean shook his head. "Hopefully she got away and she's hiding somewhere. Let's make this quick, I don't want her finding out what we actually do."

They nodded at each other and Sam took off around the back of the house. As soon as Dean made it to the front steps, he heard shrieks so thinking it was her, he all but kicked the door down. He rushed through, machete raised for action, and nearly tripped over a freshly sliced vampire head.

"What the-" He halted in his tracks when he saw her, standing above the fallen vamps wielding a rather large machete in her right hand, blood spray on her blouse and trousers. "Holly?"

"Dean! What-what are you doing here? I thought you wouldn't be back until later!"

"I was trying to save you from them," he pointed to the headless vamps. "But apparently you already took care of that."

"Uh yeah," she said, tossing her weapon to the floor. "I can explain-"

"Are you a hunter?"

Her eyes widened. "No! I'm not-I mean I was but-Wait a second, are _you_ a hunter?"

Dean lowered his weapon and sighed. "I didn't want you to find out like this-"

"Oh God," she groaned. "Out of all the men I could have met, it figures that I would choose a hunter."

Sam came around the corner and stopped. He took in Dean and Holly's positions and the blood on her clothes. "Whoa. What happened here?"

"She's a hunter."

"No, I'm not-"

"You have the knife, you knew how to kill the vamps, yeah I'd say you are!" Dean argued.

"It's more complicated than that, Dean."

"Oh well please, fill me in on what you've been hiding from me for the last year-"

"You never told me either!" She shouted in disbelief. "I should've known. 'Traveling for work' should have been the first clue. I can't _believe_ I missed that!"

"I'm gonna go…" Sam trailed off, looking extremely uncomfortable being a witness to the argument. Neither Dean nor Holly noticed his absence after he left.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Dean said quietly. He wasn't angry at her, he was surprised. Actually it was a relief knowing that this was out in the open and he didn't have to hide it from her anymore.

"The same reason you didn't tell me," she said, shrugging. "I thought you were this normal guy and if I told you about my past, you'd freak out."

"Yeah, I guess that was my reason too." He rubbed the back of his head. Her head was bowed and her gaze was averted.

"You have to go, Dean. I'll take care of the bodies but I need you to go."

"What? Why?"

She walked up to him, grabbed his by the front of his jacket, and kissed him fiercely. His empty left hand gripped the back of her neck and pulled her closer to him. She broke away and he was startled to see tears rolling down her cheeks. "Holly, what's wrong?"

"I can't be with you anymore. I'm sorry, you have to go," she repeated with a sob. Dean's stomach clenched.

"I don't understand."

"I'm breaking up with you. It's over. Please leave."

"No, what-this doesn't make any sense. Holly, what's going on? Talk to me!" He tried to take her hand but she snatched it away quickly.

"You're a hunter. I can't be with you. I'm sorry, but that's just the way it has to be." Tears continued to flow down her face. Dean felt like someone sucker punched him straight to the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. She gripped his arm and started pushing him back through the door, forcing him out.

"No no no, please, Holly, _please_. I can't lose you." He started to panic. What did she mean? Why would she say that?

"Goodbye, Dean. Don't call me anymore." She had him on the front porch before he could blink. She didn't look at him as she shut the door. The lock clicked into place and Dean merely stood there, a glaze coming over his eyes, staring back at the door. Sam came over apprehensively with his hands in his jacket pockets.

"God, Dean, are you okay?" Apparently he had heard the entire thing.

"She didn't mean that. She _can't_ have, why would she do that? Holly!" Dean yelled, pounding on the door. He continuously shouted her name until Sam had to pull him away. He struggled against Sam's grasp as he tried to reach out, to get back to her, but it was useless. Sam was too strong. He was sternly telling Dean that they needed to leave before someone decided to call the police for noise disturbance. Without a word he slumped into the front seat of the Impala and Sam drove them quickly out of the neighborhood. Dean's mind reeled all the way to the interstate. Why would him being a hunter affect their relationship?

Neither of them said a word until they were a state away and pulling into a motel parking lot. Once checked into their room, Dean immediately called her, texted her, left her voice mails pleading to call him back. But over the course of several days that slowly turned into weeks and then eventually into months, he heard nothing. It was like she disappeared off the face of the Earth. And inside, Dean shattered. Never again would he hear her voice. Hear her laugh. Touch her face, her body, run his fingers through her hair. Kiss her lips…

* * *

Dean awoke abruptly. The room was dark except for the dimly lit lamp on his bedside table. The television was off and his whiskey bottle was on the table, capped. Sam was sleeping soundly in the next bed. What time was it? Dean stretched and reached for his phone. It was almost one-thirty in the morning. He stared at the screen and wondered what she was doing at this very moment-

Suddenly the phone began vibrating in his hand and it lit up with her number.

He froze. She couldn't be calling him. It had to be a trick, maybe aftereffects from the alcohol. He took a deep breath and answered it anyway.

"Yeah."

"…Dean?"

Holy hell. His heart beat wildly in his chest.

"Holly?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Need You Now**

 **Chapter 3**

 **AN: Hey all! This is the last part to the mini series. Hope you've enjoyed it, and thank you for the reviews!**

* * *

"Dean? Are you there?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Did I wake you up? Oh gosh, it's so late, I'm sorry-"

"No, no, it's fine. I was already up."

Dean scrambled from the bed and stumbled outside so he wouldn't disturb Sam. The door clicked silently and he made his way over to Baby, leaning gently against her hood.

"How are you?"

God, it was _so good_ to hear her voice again. "Not too bad. You doing okay?"

"Not too bad either."

"Good, good. How's school going?"

"Almost done for the year. Thank goodness. And you? How's your um…work?"

He noticed the hesitation. "It's fine. Actually, we caught a case in a small town an hour away from you."

"Oh really? That's great!"

"Yeah…" he trailed away. This small talk thing was killing him. There were so many questions he wanted to ask but he was afraid it would only scare her off. "Look, Holly-"

"I'm sorry, I know you hate the 'how's the weather' conversation crap so I'll stop stalling and get straight to the point," she started. Dean couldn't help it; he smirked. "I called you because I've been thinking about you a lot lately. About us and how things ended. And I want to talk to you about that, about everything."

"Everything?"

"Yes. I feel awful for pushing you away like that. I just…"

He perked up when you paused. "Holly?"

"I miss you, Dean. _God_ , I miss you," Dean puffed out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "I need you so much, I can't stand being away from you anymore. I don't know what I was thinking."

"Holly, this is-"

"I know, I know this is completely out of the blue but I've been contemplating it for a few weeks. I want to start over. _Really_ start over. No lies, no secrets. Just one hundred percent pure honesty."

"Holly-"

"And I realize that it's totally unfair of me to ask that of you. You've probably moved on but I haven't. I _can't_. My life is stuck in an infinite loop of boring without you."

Dean smiled. "Holly stop, you don't have to explain anymore. You had me at 'I miss you'."

"What? Really? So you're not with anyone else?" She sounded surprised.

"Are you kidding? This was one of the longest five months of my life. A day didn't go by that I didn't think about you. There was no room in my head to even consider having one night stands because almost literally everything reminded me of you. Sam knows, he was here for the whole thing. He uh," Dean chuckled. "he even told me not to try to call you tonight since we're so close to your town. Hell, I drank my feelings away _because_ I couldn't do anything. Being away from you almost killed me."

She was quiet for a minute as she let it sink in. "That's probably the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. In a weird way."

He barked out a laugh. For the first time in months, he genuinely laughed. Giant smile, head tilted back, laughing. "Damn I missed you."

"Can we meet? Seeing as you're not so far away."

"Sweetheart, I wold love nothing more. But first thing's first," Dean's voice sobered, dreading what he was about to say. "I need to know about your situation. Are you a hunter or not?"

"Oh," she sighed. "That. Okay, I suppose I owe you. But I have to do it now over the phone. Otherwise, I'll chicken out. I know it's shitty but-"

"Hey, whatever you feel is right is fine with me. We've got time," he reassured soothingly.

"And that's why I love you," she said, a smile laced in the tone of her voice. "So I guess I'll start at the beginning. I come from a whole family of hunters. My parents, siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, _great_ grandparents. Literally, everyone."

Dean pondered on that. "Why haven't I met up with you before?"

"You've probably crossed paths with one of them, but me well…I kind of…refused? To be a hunter, I mean."

"Good choice."

"I watched my family die. One by one. My father and older brothers started officially training me when I was thirteen but until then I had to deal with their broken limbs, the cuts and bruises, the temporary comas, and eventually the funerals."

"I'm sorry. I know what that's like."

She grew quiet. Dean didn't want to interrupt her so he waited patiently for her to continue. He knew how hard it was to talk about the past so he would wait for her, no matter how long it took.

"My first kill was when I was fifteen. It was a girl, around eleven or so, and she was a kitsune. Her name was April. Both of her parents were kitsune's as well but they died two years earlier and left April bouncing around foster homes all over the state. She'd been feeding off the dead by herself but she slipped up and accidentally killed someone. When we finally found her, she was sick. I didn't want to kill her; she seemed so helpless, but my father…he told me she was a monster and that monsters needed to be put down," Dean quirked an eyebrow. He'd said that himself too many times before. "I didn't kill her because he told me to. She _begged_ me. She had stopped feeding because she felt so repulsed by herself for killing an innocent person. She couldn't live that way anymore. After that, I told my family that I would _never_ be a hunter.

"There was fighting and a lot of yelling but after April…How could I continue that life? She was a _little girl_ and it's not like she asked to be a kitsune. How could I justify putting down those that never chose what they became? Whether they were born that way or were turned."

"I get what you're saying, but I've come across so many creatures and monsters that are just pure evil sons of bitches. They knew what they were doing when they killed people. Hell, most of them enjoyed it."

"I know. I am all to familiar with those types. But April was the deciding factor. And I couldn't sit around and watch my family die. I didn't want to end up the same way. I left home the second I turned eighteen and never looked back. That was the hardest decision of my life."

Her line went silent again. Eventually, she continued on. "Dad died a year after that. Mom sent me a letter but I didn't go to the funeral. Months after, both of my brothers died. And then finally my mother, three years later. I got a phone call that time from the police. A few of their friends managed to bring her body back to our property and give her a hunter's funeral. I took all of our weapons with me and stashed them in a foot locker, that was how I had the machete that night with the vamps. So now...I'm the only one left."

It was subtle, but Dean caught the shift in her tone. It had wavered when she mentioned her mother, and again when she said she was all that was left.

"I'm sorry I never told you."

"Don't be, it's okay. I understand why you didn't."

"You know what's weird? We were together for a year and neither one of us asked the other about our families."

Dean thought about that. "Speaking of which, if we're going to start being honest, you should probably hear about mine. An eye for an eye, so to speak."

"Oh you really don't have to do that-"

"Yeah I do. It's only fair." Dean jumped into the story about his parents and Azazel, all of the horrifying memories. It had been years since he'd thought about it. Let alone talk about it. But if he had to choose one person in the entire world to know what had happened, he was glad it was Holly.

"Oh my God, Dean," she said in disbelief when he finished. "That's awful. I'm so sorry you and Sam had to go through that."

"Hey, it's all in the past. It's best to just keep on going. What's done is done."

"Yeah, you're right. Guess that means we're perfect for each other, since we both have such tragic backstories."

He stifled a laugh. "Oh no, don't get all cheesy rom-com on me."

"What? You know you like them too!" She laughed.

He smiled. "I think that's enough sharing for one day. Are you busy right now?"

"Well I was on a date with Netflix but that ended hours ago."

"Hey now, none of that Netflix and chill without me," he warned playfully. "I could go for a warm piece of cherry pie. Know a place?"

"Why, Mr. Winchester, I believe I do."

"See you there in an hour?"

"I'll be the one at the bar."

He grinned from ear to ear as he ended the call. Without wasting another second, he darted back inside the hotel room in search for his wallet and keys. He jotted down a quick note for Sam, because if everything went well Dean would not be back until the next day, and bolted out the door again. The Impala came to life in the still hours of the night, and with the radio up, he headed South. To her.

* * *

About a mile outside of Holly's town, it had begun to rain. Lightly at first but it picked up quickly the closer he got. It was pouring by the time he reached the diner. He rushed inside, shaking out his hair. By now it was almost three in the morning, so the diner was empty of customers. A familiar figure stood behind the counter wiping it down with a damp cloth.

"Hey, Alice," Dean said, taking a seat. The elderly woman raised her head and she smiled brightly.

"Well I'll be! Dean Winchester!" She laughed, setting the towel aside and coming around from behind the counter. She was a short woman, barely reaching to his chest, but she stood on her tiptoes to throw her arms around his massive frame. Dean smiled and returned her hug. "It's so good to see you, kiddo!"

"Yeah you too. Frank here?"

"Cleaning the kitchen," she indicated behind her. "So what ever happened to you? It's been, what? Almost six months?"

"Yeah uh," he smiled sheepishly. "Yeah, Holly and I broke up. She didn't tell you that?"

"We haven't seen much of her," she shook her head and sat in the chair next to Dean. "She's come in and out for coffee a few times but she's never stayed. Everytime I tried to ask her about you she changed the subject."

He nodded. "It was a hard breakup. But we talked earlier and she's supposed to be meeting me here soon."

Alice's face perked up. "Oh good! I'm glad, you two were so great together," she patted his hand gently. "Can I get you anything while you wait?"

"Sure, coffee'd be fine, thanks."

Fifteen minutes passed. Frank emerged from the kitchen and talked with Dean, catching up on things. Twenty minutes went by and a small group of young adults waltzed in, the majority of them completely wasted out of their minds. They laughed loudly, ordered several plates of food, coffee, sodas. The clear designated driver kept apologizing to Alice but she only smiled and joked around with them.

The raucous group of kids were lingering at their table when Dean checked his phone. No missed calls, no texts, and it was almost four a.m. now. Something wasn't right. He'd been in this business for too long to ignore a gut instinct.

"Holly hasn't called?" Alice asked him when she came by to fill up his cup. He indicated with a hand that he didn't want anymore.

"No," he sighed. He stood up and rifled around in his jeans pocket, pulled out a five dollar bill, and gave it to Alice. "I know I drove pretty fast but she should be here by now. I'm gonna head over to her place, check and make sure she's okay."

"Oh, honey wait a second, she moved," Alice said. She set down the coffee pot and produced the notepad that she took her orders on. Quickly, she scribbled out the new address. "Here."

"Thanks," he said gratefully, snatching the paper from her hand. "See you later."

"Go get her, kiddo." Alice waved him off and he shot back a grin.

The rain had lessened to a light drizzle. His phone's GPS indicated that he only had four more miles to go to reach her apartment. On the way he passed fields of farmland and open wooded areas. There was a street coming up on his left, which the pleasant voice from the GPS told him to take, so he did. He didn't even make it halfway down the road when he noticed a gut wrenching scene.

His heartbeat picked up because this was the last street on the map. It pounded wildly when the overturned car looked exactly like hers. The Impala slowed to a crawl and he finally parked and hopped out.

 _Please don't let it be her, please don't let it be her_ , he repeated in his head. Some ways off to his left was a large truck that had skid and stopped in a ditch, unturned. The cargo portion in the back had opened and several different sizes of metal, cylindrical pipes were scattered all over the road. Dean didn't see anyone in or near the truck so he headed over to the car. What he saw dropped him to his knees.

Holly was on her back, touching the roof, right arm sticking out of the shattered window. She didn't move, her eyes were closed, and she was barely breathing. Dean crawled over to her quickly, dismissing the broken glass that bit into the palms of his hands.

"No, no, no," he muttered as he clutched her arm. There were specks of blood on her arm as well as on the pavement around her, but it was nothing compared to when he peered inside the car. "Shit. Oh Jesus, _Holly_."

The windshield was only partially broken, cracked in several places, and a piece of pipe about six inches long had pierced through it and lodged itself into her sternum. He repeated her name as he gently tried to pull her from the vehicle. Blood covered her front, her back, spattering on her face, on the seats, and even more slowly oozed out from her body.

"Holly, can you hear me? Come on, sweetheart, wake up. Come on, Holly, please," Dean begged. He cradled her in his arms.

"Oh my god," a man's voice came from Dean's left. His head whipped around to see the driver of the truck, presumably. "Is she-"

"Call an ambulance!" Dean cut him off furiously.

"Did I-"

" _Now!_ " Dean shouted. Still in shock the man numbly brought out his phone and turned away from her and Dean. The next moment, she was stirring. Her eyelids fluttered and she started to cough. What came out was more blood. "Hey, hey, it's okay. I'm here, baby."

"Dean?" she croaked, but it was too much and she inhaled sharply. She cried out in pain.

"Shhh, don't talk," he soothed. "There's an ambulance on the way okay? So just hang on."

"I'm-sorry-"

"Hey, stop-"

"No, it's fine. I can...," she gripped the front of his shirt and tried to pull herself up but the pain shot fire through her entire body and she slumped back down in defeat. "Dammit."

"Don't be so stubborn," Dean chuckled. He brushed her hair back from her forehead. There was a large gash over her right eyebrow and he pressed a thumb there to ease the bleeding.

"Dean-" she started but he shushed her again. "Quit that. I need-you need to know that I-"

"I already do."

He just held her while her breathing slowed. "There was a deer. It-ran out in front-I swerved to avoid the-the truck."

Dean grinned. "Those damn deer. If I had a dollar for every time one tried to jump in front of me on a back road, I'd be rich."

She sighed heavily, wincing. "And here I thought I would die by a-a monster or demon, but no, it's a fucking _deer_ ," His grip tightened around her. "I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that-"

"I thought we'd have more time."

"We do. We will. Where the _hell_ is that damn ambulance?"

"Take my weapons. You and-and Sam will need them."

"Stop. You'll be fine."

"Dean-"

"Holly, no!" He cupped her face in his hands and peered into her eyes. They were already wet with tears. Dean grit his teeth and fought back tears of his own. "You're not going to die, do you hear me? The ambulance will come and you'll go to the hospital, and then this will all be a bad dream."

"Dean, look-look at me. Do you think I'll make it to a hospital?" she said sadly.

" _Yes_." There were sirens in the distance, getting closer with each second. He smiled. "See? It's coming for you, just hang in there."

But she wasn't looking at him anymore. Her gaze was past his shoulder, and she was openly crying, a smile on her face.

"It's them. Dean, I see them," she whispered happily. He glanced behind him and saw nothing but trees and darkness.

"Who?"

"My family," his stomach plummeted. "I think-I think they're waiting for me."

"No, no, you can't have her!" He shouted to the sky. He knew there was a reaper lingering around but he wouldn't let her go. "I thought I lost you once. I can't do it again. I _can't_ , I need you."

"I know but, Dean, I'm not gonna make it-"

" _Yes you will!_ "

Finally, the ambulance turned the corner and was tearing down the street. He waved an arm above his head while the truck driver stood by the side and waited.

"So bright..." he heard her say.

"It's here, sweetheart, it's-Holly?" He glanced down but her eyes had closed. She wasn't breathing anymore. "No! Come back to me, Holly, please!" He shook her arms but she didn't move. He placed his forehead against hers, wrapped her still body in his arms, and let the tears run down his face. Just like that, she was gone.

He sat with her until the ambulance, a firetruck, and two police cars arrived. He gave her forehead one last kiss and reluctantly let her go as the EMT crew gently pried her body from his arms. There wasn't any fight left in him anyway. The truck driver was talking with the police about what had happened. One of them mentioned to Dean that they were going to talk to him next, and he nodded mutely. A girl from the EMT noticed his hands and asked him if he wanted them taken care of but he just shook his head.

Activity happened in a blur all around him. Cars that were coming and going had to be redirected around the accident. The sirens were off but the red and blue lights still flashed brightly in the dark. At one point a news van pulled up just behind the Impala.

None of them made Dean move until it was time for the police to question him. As he was getting ready to stand, he noticed something in the back area of her car. A photograph of Holly and Dean was stuck to the pavement. He ignored the officer and pushed himself further into the vehicle. Dozens of pictures were littered in the backseat and an old box lay next to them. He gathered them up one by one, shoved them in the box, and finally stood.

He was questioned for a good ten minutes, had a camera shoved in his face, but he finally made it back to Baby. The scene was winding down. He watched as a tow truck lifted her car, turned it right side up, and hitched it to the back. The pipes were cleared off the road. While everyone was leaving, Dean was sitting behind the wheel, looking through the pictures. He couldn't believe she still had these. She must have brought them so the two of them could reminisce at the diner.

The road was quiet now.

Almost as if nothing had happened two hours prior.

Dean started up the car, picked up his favorite picture of Holly, and kissed it.

"Goodbye, sweetheart."

He wedged it in the overhead visor and rolled down the street to her apartment. All he would gather up is the weapons and let Alice do the rest. Then he would call Sam. And then return to the motel, where he would sleep, and hope that all of this really was just a bad dream.


End file.
